Learn Dutch Pronunciation

Dutch spelling is fairly phonetic. In general, there is just one way of writing each sound, and each letter and letter combination is usually pronounced in the same way. Once you know the pronunciation of the letters, you can almost always easily see from written Dutch how to say it, and on hearing Dutch you will know how it's written.
There are (of course!) exceptions, but not that many, and most are not very important. Speaking Dutch following only the general rules - pronoucing every letter in the standard way - would not be really bad Dutch. The only things that early on need explanation is the 'voiceless E' and the spelling of long and short vowels.
Zoals je 't zegt?

2 3 Like you say it? (Asking if a name is written phonetically, according to the spelling rules)

The 'One-Page' Dutch Summary has a short introduction as a refresher or to quickly give you an idea what Dutch Pronunciation is about.
For learning the sounds and spelling of Dutch I recommend the pages below. The #2 links are not a continuation but a different approach, usually an earlier version.

1. vowels - klinkers a, e, i, o, u 2. diphthongs - tweeklanken au, ei, eu, ij, oe, ou, ui	3. long and short vowels - 2 - 3 a/aa - e/ee - i/ie - o/oo - u/uu 4. 'voiceless E' - 2 'schwa'	5. consonants - 2 - medeklinkers b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x z 6. exceptions and irregularities - 2
vowels and diphthongs compared hear side-by-side old version	Slow Dutch - Vowels before R Final N - L - W - Regional G

Dutch Sounds Not Found in English	Dutch Sounds Represented by Different Letters in English	Exceptions to Phonetic Spelling

A New Series of Many Examples: Hear for Yourself
Another approach: Recognizable Words: Easy Dutch By listening closely to Dutch and English words that are look 'recognizable' or similar you'll quickly come to understand the differences between Dutch and English pronunciation and spelling.

Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words: AU/OU CH E EI/IJ EU F G H L OE SCH U UI W X Y Repeat the words after me, try saying them like I do, and record yourself or ask a friend to compare how you say them with how I say them. Try to bring your pronunciation of the words closer and closer to how I say them. Use as few or as many examples as you like. Major Exceptions to Phonetic Spelling: Page 1 - Page 2

The Spelling and Pronunciation of Vowels - the use of single and double vowels and consonants, find the spelling/pronunciation rules by yourself by studying and listening to many examples

Dutch Pronunciation Reference

The Dutch Pronunciation Reference Page - Dutch pronunciation explained by letter, and hear about 2000 examples.

Listening Tests, Exercises

Exercises:
Flash Cards Listening Tests for instance: 750 'Basic' Words
250 Everyday Words with Pictures Vowels and Diphthongs Listening Tests

Pronunciation - 2 - Listening

Other Overview Pages: Names - Vocabulary - Picture Pages - Listening - Lessons - Grammar - Essays - Exercises

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2015. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2